


The Whirlwind

by summers-maclay-lehane (ofstormsandwolves)



Series: Sunnydale 2019 [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-04-05 05:39:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/summers-maclay-lehane
Summary: When Buffy and her friends decide to go see a new band at the Bronze, nothing turns out quite like they thought.





	The Whirlwind

**Author's Note:**

> This came about mostly because I found some old season 2 BtVS promo pictures where the Whirlwind look like they're gonna drop a new album (https://ofstormsandwolves.tumblr.com/post/184859913763) and I couldn't shake the idea.

The summer sun was as hot as ever as Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg wandered along the sidewalk of Sunnydale’s Maple Court. They were heading into their junior year, and while Willow chatted excitedly about all the summer reading she had done in preparation for the new school year, Buffy found her mind- and her eyes- wandering to the posters advertising the last of the summer fun before school started back up. One in particular caused her to ground to a halt, let out a laugh, and whip out her cell phone to snap a picture. Beside her, Willow slowed to a stop too, frowning in confusion until she saw what Buffy had seen.

“Sorry,” Buffy laughed as her fingers typed out a quick message on her phone, “had to send this to Faith. She’s going to love it.”

“Anyone would,” Willow responded dutifully, though she sounded less certain. “It’s very... Interesting.”

“They look like they’ve fallen out of the 90s.” Buffy complained, scrunching her nose up at the poster and pocketing her phone.

“Yeah,” Willow agreed next to her, frowning at the picture, “except the girl looks like she came from the _18_ 90s.”

The two girls were so busy scowling at the watermarked, dog-eared poster taped to the wall outside the Espresso Pump that they didn’t even hear footsteps behind them.

“What we looking at?” Xander asked his two friends with a frown as he came up behind them.

Both girls jumped, and turned to glare at him. He gave an embarrassed smile as he realised he’d scared them, and raised a hand in greeting.

“New band’s playing at the Bronze tonight,” Buffy explained, nodding towards the poster she and Will had been staring at. “We can’t decide whether they’re going for the whole retro vibe ironically, or whether they actually think it looks good.”

Xander frowned, and peered past the girls to the poster on the wall. There was a black and white photo in the middle, showing two guys and a girl. Both guys were in leather jackets, one with dark hair and one with platinum blonde, and both giving their best broody stares at a point somewhere above the camera. Next to the dark-haired man was the girl, with equally dark hair and wearing a long dress. Her gaze seemed to bore right into Xander’s soul. He shuddered. 

“I don’t know whether they think it looks good, but I’m certainly not going to tell them otherwise,” he told the girls with a nervous laugh. “Not unless I want to wake up in a shipping container somewhere.”

“They’re pretty creepy-looking,” Willow agreed as she surveyed the poster again.

But Buffy rolled her eyes. “Please,” she told her friends, “they’re just trying to play it cool. I saw so many guys like this when I lived in LA. Besides, they call themselves ‘The Whirlwind’. Not exactly fear-inducing.”

As one, they turned and started to walk away from the poster and down the street.

“So, are we going to be checking out the oh-so-terrifying band at the Bronze?” Xander asked conversationally as they walked down the main street. “Because I for one would love to get out of the house tonight.”

At his words, both Buffy and Willow looked up at their friend in concern.

“Xander?” Willow asked cautiously. “Everything alright at home?”

Xander shrugged, and tried to brush off their concern. “As alright as it usually is.” He kept his eyes fixed on a point up ahead of them, rather than looking to either of his friends. He didn’t notice Buffy and Willow exchange knowing, worried looks.

“You know you can always stay at mine, right?” Buffy asked after a moment. “My parents don’t mind. The spare room’s set up and everything.”

At her words, Xander flashed her a brief smile, but Buffy got the distinct impression it was more to placate her than anything. Xander hated the idea of people knowing just how awful his home life was, and he hated it even more when Buffy’s mom and step-dad knew about it too.

There was a heavy silence before Xander finally spoke. “How many questions are they going to ask?”

Buffy shrugged. “Mom will want to know that you’re ok, and Giles is question-guy as you know, but I can call and explain everything before we even get to mine if you want? Make it clear to them you don’t really feel like talking. They’ll still offer to listen, but I should be able to convince them not to be too bad.”

Willow was nodding along with everything Buffy was saying. “And the Bronze is still doing their ‘summer spectacular’!” Willow reminded them excitedly. “Which means they’re letting anyone over fifteen in. Which means we can totally go to the Bronze and check out that band! Then you won’t even be at Buffy’s house much, other than to sleep.”

Finally, Xander properly looked over at his two friends and gave them a more genuine smile. “Sounds good,” he admitted. “My folks are out right now, so would you mind if we headed to mine so I could pack some stuff?”

Both girls grinned at their friend then.

“Sure,” Buffy smiled. “Lead the way.”

* * *

 

Once they picked up Xander’s things, the three of them agreed to head over to Buffy’s house until they headed to the Bronze that evening.

“Is Faith meeting us there?” Willow asked Buffy, giving her a knowing grin.

Buffy nodded, and blushed a little. “Yeah. She said she might have to sneak out, though. Gwen’s been on her back about getting prepared for school, even though we’ve got a whole other week before term starts.”

“And here I thought adoption meant you got a loving home,” Xander deadpanned as they made their way down Buffy’s street. At his words, Willow raised an eyebrow, and he flushed a little. “What? I just meant Gwen’s pretty hard on Faith sometimes. She comes across pretty scary, and it’s not exactly what you think of when you think ‘adoption’.”

Willow opened her mouth to say something, but Buffy beat her to it. 

“He’s right. Maternal instincts and Gwendolyn Post don’t belong in the same sentence. I mean, she’s alright I guess. And if she hadn’t adopted Faith, I never would have met her, but... Well, Gwen sort of makes me uncomfortable sometimes. It’s why Faith and I hang out at mine more than hers. I mean, my mom and Giles can be annoying, but at least they give us space. Gwen’s always hovering, like she thinks we’re up to something suspicious.”

“Of course you are,” Xander teased. “You and Faith are bad girls. Delinquents. With your leather jackets, and skipping class to smooch behind the gym.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled a little at Xander’s words, as Willow giggled. 

“Well, where else would they smooch?” Willow joined in. “They can’t smooch behind the library, otherwise Giles would find out.”

“Ok, I admit, Faith and I aren’t exactly model students. But Gwen runs that house like it’s a prison at times, you know? Like Faith’s being punished. She’s just very controlling, and I know Faith hates it.”

By now, they had reached 1630 Revello Drive, and made their way up the path. As they reached the porch, the front door swung open to reveal Giles in the doorway.

“Thought I heard you coming,” he told them with a small smile.

At his words, Buffy froze momentarily. While her dislike of her girlfriend’s adopted mom was well-known, she still didn’t feel all that comfortable with her step-dad hearing her bad-mouthing her. But Giles just smiled wider when he saw Buffy’s reaction.

“I didn’t hear you, Buffy. I was in the dining room doing some work and I saw you coming up the path.”

Buffy’s shoulders sagged in relief, and she stepped into the house, Willow and Xander just behind her. As Xander passed Giles with his rucksack slung over his shoulder, Giles’s smile faltered for a split second before he regained it. He clapped the younger man on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Did you want to run your things upstairs now, Xander? Buffy did call to say you were going to be staying the night.”

For a brief second, Xander froze, before slowly meeting Giles’s gaze. He could see the unspoken offer of listening to his problems in the older man’s eyes, but he could also see that Giles was relaxed and calm. He wasn’t pushing. If there was one thing he had learned about Buffy’s step-dad in the year he had known him, it was that Rupert Giles didn’t force anyone to talk about things they didn’t want to.

“Uh, yeah. I’ll just take it up now.” Xander hurried up the stairs, relieved that Giles hadn’t tried to push him into anything.

“Real subtle, Giles,” Buffy groused as Xander disappeared upstairs.

Giles frowned. “Buffy, I didn’t say anything.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “You might as well have. Geez. I hope Mom’s more subtle than you when she gets in from work.”

Giles raised his eyebrows, but before he could respond, Willow interrupted.

“So, uh, I finished that book you leant me,” she told Giles a little nervously. “It was really good.”

Somewhat startled by the change in topic, but pleased by Willow’s words, Giles turned his attention to the redhead. “Yes, well. I had hoped you’d find it interesting. I know you had enjoyed learning about the witch trials in history last year, and that book goes a little more in-depth than the ones you were using for class.”

“Oh, definitely!” Willow agreed excitedly. “We barely even covered half the stuff in that book while we were in class-”

As Willow continued to talk excitedly with Giles, Buffy rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen for a drink.

* * *

 

“Now, are you sure you’ve got enough money?” Joyce asked for the umpteenth time as the three teens piled out of her Jeep a block away from the Bronze.

“ _Yes_ , Mom,” Buffy sighed, folding her arms across her chest. It was bad enough that her mom had insisted on running her, Will, and Xander to the club, but now she wouldn’t even just drop them off and leave.

“I’m just checking, sweetheart,” Joyce responded calmly, before turning her attention to Willow and Xander. “What about you two? You mentioned getting food here?”

“I’m fine,” Willow smiled awkwardly. “But thanks, Joyce.”

Xander, however, shifted uncomfortably and remained silent. There was an awkward pause.

“Well,” Joyce said suddenly as she dug through her purse, “I had some money left over from when I bought Buffy’s new school books, so how about you guys take this.” She pressed a $20 bill into Xander’s hands.

The boy blinked, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He did the same again, with the same result. Then, a little shakily: “I... I can’t take this, Joyce. Honestly, I’m fine-”

“The four of you can order one of those appetiser platters they do, once Faith gets here,” Joyce responded calmly. “That should be enough to cover the food and a drink each.” She turned her attention back to her daughter. “Now, you’ll call me when you guys want to come home? Either me or Rupert will come pick you up.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “ _Yes, Mom_ ,” she repeated, even more frustrated than before.

Joyce just gave her an indulgent smile, waved at the kids, and drove off. As the three of them started down the sidewalk to the Bronze, Xander tried to press the money into Buffy’s hand.

“You should take this,” he said, still sounding a little shaky. “It’s your money.”

“Xander-” Buffy began, before seeing the look on her friend’s face. She took the money, and gave him a slightly teasing smile. “Suppose I’d better keep it safe so you can’t lose it.”

Xander gave her a little half-smile, grateful. “Exactly.”

As the neared the Bronze, they could say the queue of teens waiting to get inside.

“Hey, B!”

Right near the front of the queue, and waving frantically, was Faith. With a grin, Buffy led the way over to the queue and slide in next to her girlfriend, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Behind them there were a few wolf-whistles, but mostly it was just people complaining about the three queue-jumpers.

“Uh, Faith,” Willow started cautiously, “not that I don’t appreciate you getting here early and all, but I don’t think people are too happy we queue-jumped.”

But Faith shrugged and slung an arm around Buffy’s shoulders. “Screw them, Red. People save their friends’ places in queues all the time. What are they gonna do, fight me?”

“Maybe,” Willow squeaked, going wide-eyed at the thought of a fight breaking out.

“Yeah, well, I could take them.” Faith sniffed, and glanced over her shoulder at the teens who were still glaring at her.

Xander followed her gaze and swallowed as he saw several of the senior jocks glaring at him. “As much as I’d love to see that, I’d rather we got through the night without any big fights.”

Faith frowned at Xander, noting he seemed a little down, before glancing to Buffy, who shook her head. “Your loss, man. I’m wicked good in a fight.”

* * *

 

The Bronze was, inevitably, packed. They managed to bag a table tucked away in the corner near the stage, and Willow and Xander headed off to the bar for food and drinks with the money Joyce had given them.

“Xander at yours again tonight?” Faith asked one the boy was out of earshot.

Buffy nodded. “He wouldn’t tell us what happened, but he packed quite a lot of stuff this time,” she admitted quietly. “I was going to speak with Mom and Giles about him staying for a few more nights.”

“Man, that sucks,” Faith frowned, staring across the dance floor to the bar where Willow and Xander were queuing. “Like, I know Gwen gets on my back sometimes, but I never feel like I’m not welcome, you know?” She paused. “Ok, sometimes I feel like I can’t leave, but that’s a whole different issue.”

Buffy smiled, and entwined her girlfriend’s fingers with hers. “You know you could come stay over too. My parents don’t mind.”

Faith shrugged, trying to look like it wasn’t a big deal, but Buffy could see the look in her eyes that said she was considering it.

“So is that lame band you sent me a pic of playing tonight?” Faith asked as she glanced towards the stage.

“Yep,” Buffy grinned. “I don’t know whether I want them to be as terrible as they look or not, you know? Like, on the one hand it would be really funny if they were terrible, but at the same time I don’t want to spend my night listening to awful music.”

It was at that point that Willow and Xander came back with their drinks. 

“What are we talking about?” Xander asked as he placed a Diet Coke in front of Buffy and took a seat.

“The band,” Buffy explained before taking a sip of her drink.

“B can’t decide whether she wants them to be good or bad,” Faith grinned. “I’m leaning more towards bad. I could do with a good laugh.”

Willow frowned. “But then we can’t dance! We’d be too busy with the, the laughing, and the choking on the food, and stuff.”

Buffy grinned at that. “I’ll still dance with you, Will. We can leave Faith and Xander to their laughing while we get our dance on.”

Xander raised an eyebrow at Buffy, and affected a mock-offended tone. “Who said I’d be laughing? I never said I’d be laughing.”

“No,” Buffy admitted, “but I know you too well to know you wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face.”

“True,” Xander conceded, raising his drink in a gesture of agreement before taking a sip.

“Yeah,” Faith chimed in, “and B knows I can’t keep anythin’ straight, either.”

At Faith’s words, Xander choked on his sip of Coke, and Willow patted him on the back. It was while that was happening that three people walked onto the stage and Faith let out an amused laugh, grabbing on to Buffy’s arm.

“They _seriously_ dress like that?” Faith grinned, staring as the band began to prepare for their first set. “This is going to be amazing!”

 _The Whirlwind_ , it seemed, was every bit as cheesy as their poster had suggested. While the woman took up her position behind the drums, the two men took up their positions behind the microphones, guitars at the ready.

“Is it me,” Xander asked quietly, eyes still on the band, “or are they missing a bass guitarist?”

Sure enough, both men were playing lead guitar, and given the glares they kept giving each other, there was apparently some rivalry there. The woman behind the drum kit either didn’t notice the tension between her band mates, or she didn’t care, as she gazed idly around the club. There was an awkwardly long pause before the band started playing, during which Faith, Buffy, Xander, and Willow all exchanged uncomfortable looks. Then, the drummer seemed to wake up a bit, and she started counting the band in.

To say that they were terrible would be unfair, Buffy decided quickly, but they certainly weren’t good. For a start, the two singers were constantly trying to sing louder than the other in some sort of bizarre in-band sing-off, and the drummer quite literally seemed to march to the beat of her own drum as she changed the tempo several times seemingly on a whim.

“I’d like to say things can’t get weirder,” Willow whispered as the band finished their second song, “but I think it just might.”

The third song started up just as a waitress brought over their appetisers. The few moments of distraction were enough for something truly odd to happen onstage. Faith snorted with laughter, Willow and Xander exchanged amused glances, and Buffy accidentally swallowed an ice chip from her drink as they saw the drummer had dropped her drumsticks and instead pulled a tambourine out from somewhere and start shaking and beating that instead.

“You should have seen their rehearsals,” the waitress told them somewhat mournfully. “I’m not being paid enough to listen to this on repeat. I told my manager I wanted a raise if this band were going to play here on a regular basis, but I don’t think he took me seriously.”

“Oh come on,” Faith grinned at the waitress, “you’ve got to find this at least a bit funny.”

“Why?” the waitress responded with a frown. “Their tempo is all over the place, the two singers are having some sort of testosterone-fuelled music battle onstage, and it’s giving me a migraine.” She pouted. “And if that’s not bad enough, I can’t even avoid them on campus.”

“They’re students?” Willow asked. “Huh. Maybe they’re not bad, maybe they’re drunk.”

But the waitress shook her head. “Believe me; no amount of alcohol can justify their attempt at music.”

Xander had been silent for the whole conversation, and when Buffy looked over at him she saw he was instead staring, wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the waitress, who seemed oblivious to him.

“- I told the manager they weren’t very good. I’d been made to sit through some of their on-campus gigs last year, and they were just as bad then. In fact, I think they’ve gotten _worse_. Maybe they’re cursed. But all my manager said was ‘oh, Anya, you have such a funny sense of humour’.” She paused, frowned. “I wasn’t laughing. Why would he think I was joking?”

Under the table, Buffy kicked Xander’s shin, and he jolted. Beside her, Buffy could feel Faith shaking with silent laughter, but Buffy ignored her.

“Anyway,” Anya continued with a scowl. “Enjoy your appetisers, and I hope this racket doesn’t make you want to vomit.”

She stalked off back towards the bar.

* * *

 

It was Buffy’s round, and she headed off to the bar to order everyone some more Cokes- normal for Faith, Xander, and Will, and diet for her. She placed her order and was waiting on the drinks when she became aware of a man leaning against the bar watching her. Hesitantly, she glanced over. It was the blonde man from The Whirlwind, smirking at her as he stared.

“Uh, hi,” Buffy said nervously. “Good set.” She gestured towards the stage, where the band’s gear was waiting between sets.

“Thanks,” the blonde man said, and Buffy was surprised to hear a British accent. “Now, what’s a pretty girl like you doing here alone?”

He stepped closer, and immediately Buffy felt red flags go up in her head. “I- I’m not alone,” Buffy said shakily, glancing across the dance floor to their table. “I’m here with some friends.” 

Faith was too busy laughing at something Xander had said to see the worried expression on her girlfriend’s face, and Buffy found herself silently begging her to notice what was happening at the bar.

“Well,” the man said, and suddenly he was even closer, “not very nice friends, leaving you to get the drinks yourself.” He grinned down at her, and thrust a hand out for Buffy to shake. “William. But my friends call me Spike.”

Buffy shook his hand, but said nothing.

Spike frowned. “What? A pretty girl like you doesn’t have a name?”

 _No_ , Buffy thought, _I just don’t want to tell you_.

“Here we are,” came Anya’s overly-cheerful voice as she set the Cokes down on the bar. “How about I help you take these to your table?”

Buffy blinked, and looked to the older girl in surprise. But she saw that Anya wasn’t even looking at her; she was glaring at Spike. “Thanks.”

Anya’s gaze flitted from Spike to Buffy then, and her expression softened into a smile. “All part of the service.”

Anya made her way around the bar and picked up two of the drinks while Buffy picked up the other two. But as they headed back across the dance floor, Spike trailed after them. As they neared the table, Faith seemed to notice something was wrong, as she got to her feet. 

Anya set the drinks down on the table, before turning to give Spike another glare. “What do you want, William?” she asked in annoyance. “Leave the girl alone.”  
That got the attention of Faith, Xander, and Willow.

“What the hell?” Faith asked, still on her feet and looking ready to vault the table if needed. She turned to Buffy. “Did this creep do something to you, B?”

Buffy shook her head, unsure whether to speak, and if so what to say. But it was then that the dark-haired man from the band showed up, looking both irritated and apologetic.

“There you are,” he growled at Spike. “What the hell are you doing?”

Spike shrugged. “Just a bit of harmless flirting. The girl was looking lonely. Thought I’d say hello.” He flashed Buffy another smirk. She stepped closer to Faith.

The dark-haired man glared at his band mate, and quickly turned to Buffy. “I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, “it’s just my friend here doesn’t seem to understand _personal boundaries_.” He growled the last part while looking pointedly at Spike. Taking a breath, he returned his attention to Buffy. “Look, can I buy you and your friends a drink, or something? Some snacks?”

“It’s ok,” Buffy insisted, though there was no fight in her voice. Willow and Xander watched her in concern.

“I’m, uh, Angel, by the way,” the dark-haired man said. “Again, I’m really sorry about Spike.”

Spike glared. “Oi. I don’t need you apologising for me.”

Angel clenched his jaw. “Clearly you do, else I wouldn’t be over here in the first place. Now come on, our set’s about to start.”

Angel stalked off, hands shoved in his jean pockets. Spike stayed where he was, a picture of defiance and attitude, but when Anya levelled him with a glare and Faith slung her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulders, he sloped off with a sneer.

“Give me a shout if he bothers you again,” Anya told them, watching Spike leave. “I’ve wanted to go at William since he tried to cheat off me in our Historical Literature final last year.” 

Then she too walked off, and Buffy sank into her seat, reaching for her drink.

“You ok, babe?” Faith asked as she settled into her own seat.

Buffy nodded, but was clearly shaken.

“Hey, how about we blow this joint?” Xander suggested, before taking a large gulp of his drink. “It’s not even nine yet, maybe we could go back to Buffy’s and watch a movie?”

“That sounds good,” Willow admitted. “What do you think, Buff?”

Buffy nodded again, and this time managed to force a smile. “Sounds good,” she admitted softly. “I’ll call Mom.”

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, but Faith got to her feet, grabbing her drink. 

“It’ll be less noisy if we call from outside,” she told the others. “Besides, not sure I can take much more of bleach-blonde’s creepy stares.” She gestured towards the stage with her chin, where Spike was glaring at them as he started to holler the words to the latest song.

The group agreed, and gathered their drinks as they prepared to leave. As they did so, Angel caught Faith’s eye, giving her a small nod. She gave a single nod back, silently telling the man that they were ok, before slipping an arm around Buffy’s waist and steering them all towards the exit.

Behind them, _The Whirlwind_ continued to play.


End file.
